Ashita ga Arusa
by Nanaki BH
Summary: RionxAsh. If they hadn't been deleted, what would have become of Ash and Rion?


Disclaimer: _Galerians_ and all associated characters and materials are property of Polygon Magic.

Ashita ga Arusa  
By: Nanaki BH

They knew he was coming. They could feel him so close, probing their systems, searching for a way he could reach them or at least communicate. They knew they had been there together for so long but when they realized that Pat might finally come, their time felt like nothing at all. They could have been there years, an eternity, only one day even. But they felt so restricted. Their world could be anything they wanted it to be. It could be their own personal heaven forever but Rion and Ash were well aware of its imperfections by now. A release, in a way, didn't sound that bad.

"But where will we go?" Ash had asked once after Rion came out of a long sleep cycle.

"What are you talking about?"

"If we are to be deleted. What will happen then? Will we simply cease to exist like all other data?"

Rion didn't know what to say or how to even begin to answer it. Rion wasn't sure if he could believe in a heaven. There were humans who believed in its existence with all their hearts but there was no proof. Then again, there was no proof to say heaven didn't exist either. Dorothy, Rion decided, was egomaniacal. She foolishly denied the existence of a God, so determined to assert her own importance, even when she had no conclusive proof.

Even if the chances of it being real were slim, Rion chose to believe in a heaven and hoped that there would be a place there for unfortunate souls like theirs.

After another small eternity, something different finally came to break their silence.

"That must be him now," Ash said quietly.

Rion knew Ash only tried to sound indifferent. He knew how afraid he was of what their end would be like.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around him, even though they couldn't register the sensation.

"It's all right. We knew this was coming."

"Rion?"

A sigh. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. It made me... so happy to be with someone like me."

Running his fingers up through Ash's hair, he murmured, "Yeah. Me too."

A somber-sweet silence fell over them as they simply stood in the white oblivion and felt each other's presence. Any illusions they had made faded into white around them. A warm kind of feeling ran up through every circuit of Rion's being and he knew he had arrived.

"Pat?"

"I've come to rescue you, Rion."

When he spoke, he didn't recognize him at first. It was Pat, Rion knew, but his voice was deeper, older. At first, he didn't hear him, didn't really understand what he was saying. It had been so long since he had heard a real voice and this one was very obviously not telepathic.

"How... can you be here?"

In ten years, he explained, mankind had finally grown beyond the need for dangerous computers like Dorothy and developed a technology that allowed for them to interact. Lilia's dying wish, he said, was for him to return to the outside where he could live again in physical form. But Rion didn't want to return, not now.

"Please... Delete all trace of Ash's data and... of mine."

"But, Rion. We've prepared bodies for you. You can both return and live normal lives with the people in Michaelangelo City."

Ash stepped back slightly from Rion's hold to look him in the eye questioningly. Clearly, he was just as surprised. They hadn't counted on this outcome. It didn't seem like Pat interfered enough to be able to do such a thing as create bodies for them both. And for what? Why would they want to join the imperfect human world where people would hate them and look at them as their enemies?

"Normal, Pat?" Rion scoffed. "No one would allow that. We're too different."

Pat sighed and Ash leaned his head against Rion's chest. He looked small and lost now, having suddenly lost all his resolve. "Things are different now. The people on the outside hail you and Lilia as heroes, Rion. Your name appears in textbooks and children learn about how great you were and how you benefited this city and the world. Humanity has learned more about how to deal with differences now that it's all over. You'll only be welcomed."

Ash gripped Rion's shirt tightly in his fingers and clamped his eyes shut. He looked nervous and afraid. "They'll hate me. They'll only try to hurt me and make me suffer. I didn't do it, Rion. Please, tell them it's not my fault. I... Mother..."

"We could..." He didn't want to say that they could say "no". They could. Pat had only given them an offer, after all. They could turn it down, but... This could really be his chance finally. A real, honest chance at living a normal (if only semi-normal) life. "It's okay," he said instead. "No one can hurt us. Just show them how different you are now too and they'll have no reason to treat you bad."

"But are _you _sure, Rion?"

"Huh?"

"Do _you_ want to go back?"

It took him a second but he realized that he already knew his answer. He wanted to return. He wanted to go back to the real world, if only for a little while so he could experience all the things he had been missing while in the void. Touch, taste, smell – all of his senses. As long as he got to feel them one more time and for once, really feel like he was alive, then he could peacefully move on.

"Yes. I think you'd benefit to know the real world for yourself, too."

Ash nodded, confidence returning to his deep eyes. "All right. I trust you."

"Is that a yes?" Pat asked, voice echoing in the void of white.

"Yes," they said.

"Then hang on." They heard something like a switch being flipped, something like the whiz of electricity through air, and then the whirring of a machine. Their precious white landscape turned to black and their thought patterns discontinued function.

--

Rion hated déjà vu. It reminded him of then; that time in the Mushroom Tower with Lilia when he realized that his nightmare had only just begun. This time, he was aware of traveling through a cramped space. It was dark though, not bright like the apparatus Lilia had kept him in. He tried to lift his head enough so he could look down toward his feet. He could see the light at the end and soon he was out, the light enveloping him. The loud sound of the machine shut off and released him with a burst of cold air. He felt cold all over and his eyes burned terribly with the new light.

"Welcome back, Rion," Pat said. Looking up through lidded eyes, Rion could just barely make out Pat's figure. It hurt to try to open his eyes fully so he kept them closed for the time being and just listened to Pat talk. "And now that you're here, I feel that I must inform you of some things." Pat took a breath, seeming uncomfortable with what he had to say. "In order to restore you to these bodies, we had to acclimate them to a Galerian type life form. We ran various tests but all bodies rejected any Galerian type unless psychoactive drugs were present in the bloodstream. It seems like the most minor price to pay, considering the fact that you've been given a physical form again."

"We're addicted again," Rion muttered, finding it somewhat strange to hear his own voice.

Pat nodded, although Rion couldn't see it. "Yes. Essentially. Your high level of consciousness if far greater now than any human. In order to just exist here, your body had to be introduced to the drugs you took before. Your thoughts may feel slightly more limited in comparison to how things were in digital space but that's so that you don't exceed your brain's capacity."

That he could deal with. He was used to the constant urge for the drugs before and how sweet they felt to course through his veins. Unfortunately... "Pat, we can't possibly keep living like that," he said, attempting to open his eyes again.

"You're going to have to, I'm sorry. But we'll make sure here at the hospital that you'll have a constant supply of them whenever you need them."

Rion laughed, finding that to be the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "You're going to supply our addiction? What kind of scientist are you now?" Pat chose not to respond that that. Taking in a sharp breath, Rion sat up on the thin table, clutching at his sore sides. Various IVs and tubes were connected to him, probably performing all of his natural functions for his body while his mind was absent. Once his eyes became used to the harsh light of the laboratory room, he gave himself a look around. Things looked a bit different than he remembered. He figured it was just what ten years could do to the world. The slight differences looked big to him though, considering how long it had been since he had seen the human world.

Finally, his eyes rested on Ash, body still on the table next to him. They were only separated by a meter or so and he could see ever inch of his human body. Ash was perfect. He had no idea Pat would pay such close attention to the way he was created. His skin looked soft and warm, a pale blush to his cheeks instead of the sickly looking white as before. There was no eyeshadow, lipstick, or nail polish this time. His hair was light and full, spread out around his head like a halo. The only show of imperfection was the frown upon his lips and the way his shoulders seem to hunch up as if to protect him from the cold. Rion smiled, though. Ash didn't know what to do about these new sensations.

Ignoring Pat's urges to stay still, Rion got up off the table naked, dragging the tubes and cords after him. "Ash," he whispered, leaning over him. He pressed his palms to his chest, pleased to find his skin as soft as he expected it to be. He smoothed his hands down his chest and sides a few times, amazed by the way they made Ash shiver and arch into his touch. "It's me, you're okay." Ash opened his eyes slightly, blinking past the blinding lights. Rion leaned down, sliding his arms under him and scooped him up into an embrace against him. Over his shoulder, Ash could see the surprised look Pat was giving them and he buried his face in Rion's shoulder.

"Can you talk?" Rion asked. Ash leaned back a little to look at him and swallowed, seeming as interested in Rion's human features as Rion had been with his.

Ash seemed to be too afraid or embarrassed to try anything in his new form in front of Pat. "Can you give us a moment?" Rion asked him.

He rolled his eyes at the two but conceded anyway, exiting through the door in the room to leave them in peace for a while. Rion knew he'd be right nearby or that they were being monitored anyway, though. At least Ash seemed to feel a little more comfortable already with him gone.

Ash sputtered for a second, finding it surprisingly difficult to form words with a tongue. "R-Rion," he forced out. With the name successfully rolled from his lips, he looked proud with himself.

"My name," Rion whispered, feeling honored that the first thing Ash would say would be his own name. "How are you feeling?"

He looked tense, paranoid. It might have been an effect of one of the drugs as it wore off and left him with a craving but it could have just as well been his discomfort in his new environment. "I... I don't know." He snuck closer, pressing their chests together. "You feel different than the air does. I know this... Your body emits heat. That must mean the air is cold." Rion smiled at his very scientific deduction and ran his hands up and down the sides of Ash's arms to warm him.

"They'll probably have some clothes around here for us to wear. They won't let us leave like this."

Decidedly enjoying Rion's warmth, Ash wrapped his arms around him and clung close, rubbing himself against him. "I think... I like this. Is this strange?"

Rion blushed, knowing the kind of embarrassing position Ash would put him in if he kept going in that way. "N-no. Just... If you keep doing that, well..." Gently, Rion pushed him away a little. "I'll tell you all about it later. We just need to get some clothes first." Disappointed but not discouraged, Ash nodded. "I'll see if I can get Pat's attention." As he made to move from the table, Ash pulled him back by his wrist.

"Rion."

"Hm?"

Before he knew what Ash was doing, he had their lips pressed together. It was forceful and needy, clearly containing all of the pent up emotions Ash had been sparing. It felt gentle at the same time though, as if he were trying to show him all of the feelings he had been hiding away that he felt he wasn't allowed to feel. Rion allowed him to deepen the kiss, feeling his tongue slip in between his parted lips to massage his own. He took Ash's hands from at his wrists and guided them up around his shoulders so he could hold him at his waist, past the tubes and plugs that still protruded from his skin. The sounds of their soft sighs and moans filled the stillness of the quiet room, arousing Rion more than he wanted to admit to. He broke away before things could get much farther.

Ash looked dazed and very pleased with himself, adopting an expression Rion recognized from one of their early encounters; predatory. He felt a rush of adrenaline, suddenly aware of what a terrible mistake it would have been to be deleted without knowing this side of his ex-enemy. He ran a hand through his hair and looked back at Ash. Years of simply being with him suddenly felt like nothing in comparison to being able to really look at Ash and touch him.

"I'll go get Pat," he said weakly, getting off of the table to stand on wobbly legs. He wasn't sure if was from not having walked in ages or if it was from the mind-blowing kiss he'd just received. All he knew was that he looked forward to having more like that one.

Just as he was about to reach the door, it flung open and Pat walked in with two nurses. He coughed nervously and Rion's face took on an embarrassed shade of red, wondering just how much Pat could have seen from the outside window. He looked back at Ash who seemed surprisingly unphased by this, very calmly sitting on his table, the pleased grin still in place. That wasn't helping much.

"I brought clothes for you two," he said, gesturing to what the nurses held. "You can take a seat if you wish, Rion."

He did as he was told and the nurse on left came toward him and put the clothes down on the table. Very professionally and calmly, she began unscrewing the tubes from his side and unplugging others. There were more that he hadn't even noticed on his back apparently. By the time she was done, it seemed like there were countless cords strewn on the floor. Each one must have served some sort of purpose. The ones in his neck were most likely for the drugs, he realized. The most common of the drugs he took were administered through a shot to a vein in the neck.

When she unfolded a shirt for him and held it out for him to put his arms into, he waved a hand at her, politely turning down her offer. "Thank you, I can dress myself." Obviously this lady didn't know that you had to put on your underwear first. Everything they got for him seemed to be similar to what he would have wore before; a pair of grey washed jeans, a black t-shirt, and sneakers. Simple enough. Once he had most of his clothes on, he looked back up to Ash and noticed the trouble he was giving his nurse. The plugs had all been successfully removed but he refused to let her touch him more than that, shying away when she held out a shirt for him to wear.

_"He doesn't trust humans," _Rion realized. A wave of sympathy came over him.

He got up from the table and crossed the short distance between his table and Ash's. "Here," he said, pushing past the nurse. He held out a hand for her to give him the shirt and she looked confused at first.

"You think you can do it?" she asked.

_"Of course I can,"_ he thought, knowing for certain that Ash would trust him more than some cold, impersonal human. "Yeah," he said, choosing not to be rude about it, "it's fine."

She handed it back to him and Rion turned around. Ash didn't seem very interested in dressing in front of them either but he at least allowed Rion to get it done, raising his arms and lifting his legs when asked. Finally, Rion got done tying his shoes for him, impressed with how it all looked so natural on him. After years of seeing him in black leather and straps, Rion couldn't even imagine he'd look as good in anything else. Black jeans and a tight white shirt – maybe Pat had put more thought into this than Rion even had himself.

"When can we leave here?" he asked. More important was actually knowing where they were going to go. He assumed they'd be given some kind of shelter for the time being, if only in the hospital.

Pat closed the chart he had been looking at and clipped his pen to the top. "Pretty soon, if you want, actually. I don't think we have to monitor you, really. The apartment the hospital has ready for you is near enough to the hospital so you'd be able to make short trips back here if you had to. Lilia's notes on your progress seem to show that you were stable within a very short period of time anyway. You should be fine, assuming we ran everything the correct way."

That didn't sound very reassuring but at least he had assured them of a place to stay. "How are we supposed to pay for the apartment?"

Pat glanced up from the top sheet of his notes. "Oh, you don't. It's being paid for by the government. I'm not sure how long you've got on that but there will probably be paperwork for you to figure out eventually."

What a relief. Things were looking rather normal and sunny already. Ash got up from the table and stood close to Rion, wobbling just slightly on his new feet. The nurses picked up the tubes and things that were littered on the floor and scurried out of the room, having concluded their business there.

"Would it be all right if we left now then?" Rion asked, hoping very much the answer would be yes. He had only just woke up but he was already feeling tired and could feel the itchy need for something in his veins creeping up on him.

Crossing the room to a table of tools and vials, Pat picked up two prescription bags and returned to hand them to him. "You may need those and," he fished through his breast pocket, "these." Dangling from his finger were a set of brand new keys. Rion wasn't sure if a free place to stay sounded better than the drugs to him right then. What sounded the best was what clung close to his arm. Ash looked up when Rion looked down at him and he leaned up to give him a small kiss.

Nervously touching his lips, Rion looked back to the scientist hesitantly but he seemed nothing less than amused. It looked as if their relationship wasn't much of a surprise after all. "Thanks." He felt guilty just accepting drugs from him like that but he knew it wasn't like he was stealing them or begging for them. Something about it still made him feel weak and dependent, though. The keys were shoved in his pocket and Pat briefly explained the directions to their apartment building.

"So we can just walk out of here? Right now?"

"I see no reason to stop you. Just call me back tomorrow. Number's on the bags. I'll just want to know how you're reacting to those and how you feel in general, if you've noticed anything strange – that sort of thing."

Ash's patience was beginning to wear and he tugged him by the arm to the door. "G-Guess I'm going then! Thanks, Pat! We'll talk more tomorrow then!"

Pat crossed his arms, laughing softly to himself. "All right, see you, Rion! Have fun!"

Rion knew he couldn't hide the massive blush that was growing on his face as the silver-haired Galerian greedily dragged him away.

--

Author's Notes: Sex and drugs will be in the next chapter, I promise you that. RionxAsh needs to get more attention. Have any more ideas? Things I should put into the next chapter? Feel free to leave me some comments in your reviews. Hope you enjoyed reading! Stay tuned!


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